Noisy Cicadas

There are more than 200 species of Cicada in Australia. Recognised by their loud noise in excess of 120 dB by some species (which is painful to the human ear) it is done in an attempt to find a mate and thought to actually repels birds. Only male cicadas sing and they have a mechanism to shield their own hearing organ so that it won't be deafened by its own noise. Different species have different songs.

As adults, cicadas have short lives, at best only a few weeks. Though as young insects (nymphs) most of their lives are spent living for 6 to 7 years underground.

Cicadas feed on the sap of a huge range of plants including acacia like this one at Earthcare Park, eucalypts and grasses by using their piercing and sucking mouthparts.

The importance of cicadas is represented in the food chain as they are eaten in large quantities by birds, bats, spiders, tree crickets and wasps.

They are considered harmless to people